TOMATOR TOK

Going Bengali after quite sometime, do not even know if it can be called authentic Bengali or not. The recipe source.. our mother! She says she has drawn the inspiration from "tenga".... that famous Assamese light curry base with tomato. I have told you earlier a major portion from my father's side left Comilla to settle in Assam, while the mother's side in Nadia and Burdwan districts of West Bengal. When the family veterans learnt some heirloom Assamese steamed "pithas", Burdwan got us the best quality "shitabhog and mihidana"..... Bengalis in Bengal do not really try making sweets at home, there is a sweet shop at every corner of the lanes & streets, at major junctions. Pitha is a homemade speciality and till date my side of the family do not buy it from a sweet shop. Last January, I got pissed off when the mother-in-law asked the paa-in-law to get store bought "patishapta" for their visiting son. I felt like what is this? One may get this amount of lazy and sit idle all day long but she used to make really good "patishapta" once, for the sake of it she should not buy it from a store. The wish to feed your visiting kid is natural, there are a lot of other things to feed. I am personally  against commercialising "pithe-puli".. in the pages of "foodonomy," they should be known as "traditionally exclusive stuffs."

I have visited Assam only 3-4 times, what I loved most there is their traditional homes. Even in the crowded township of Nagaon, they built homes with asbestos roofs surrounded by greens. If you are in a quaint Assamese neighbourhood, you will enjoy the trail. That was in 2003, really do not know about the developments now. In the year 2003, I felt the city of Guwahati was more developed than Kolkata. Now, the situation may be different. I actually liked Shillong, what a lovely place. 

Well, Kolkata is a nostalgia I am unwilling to go back and settle down at the moment, on retirement we have to go back because it would still be one of the cheapest places in India. You all know I lack drama in me, I hate lies unless required.... you will not see me speaking ill of those who chose never to go back.... there I bond with our childhood buddy Debopam Raha, else I tread in the path of 'Bibhutibhusan' while he sails in neutron, proton, this.. that. I asked him once why he came back from America during his prime, obviously not because of "mitti ki pukar".... He explained me clearly the reasons, he does not repent about a decision just like T, he does not accuse people who have different plans just like T, I am their perfect friend, the failure self have the ability to appreciate those who are successful. 

You bet, who unnecessarily show too much of "desh bhakti" might have some unfulfilled wishes hidden inside. That is not wrong unless and until you take unnecessary digs at others who have reached where they wished to, you are doing a wrong thing which I cannot be supportive of. People achieve what  they wish for after a lot of hard work, we must respect that. Anyway, I had to make a come back with what I love..... sharing family recipes in the blog.... here is one summer friendly, light curry with ripe tomatoes TOMATOR TOK. 

Is it a soup? Us at home did not consider it as but you can well call it a "deshi tomato soup".... This was particularly done between the months of February and April. The tomato price used to go down by that time, the mother used to prepare it in bulk with good amount of tomatoes. Our parents used to have big bowls of it the entire summer. Okay, it was not as favourite as dal to the rest of us but these days I am loving it. In the picture, what you see is how this soupy, tomato curry was served with.... "maach bhaja mainly, then add as you wish.... "aloo bhaja, begun bhaja.... " the list can be bigger. In those days salad was not had in middle class families like us, it is a recent development. I can guarantee any one who loves soups and those who are not fond of it, both kinds would enjoy it. 

This curry is healthy, not the accompaniments. Then, it is always up to you what you are having it with. I or my family enjoy it with fish fry, potato or egg plant fry and rice and that is exactly how  I wished to share  the TOMATOR TOK in the blog! Our family uses radhuni / ajmod seeds for the tempering and a tea spoon of wild celery seed paste to be added towards the end for flavouring. Besides, we use slitted green chillies, halved dry red chillies and a bay leaf. The chopped, fresh coriander is my addition. Trust me, I give you a wonderful "deshi meal idea for summers".. If you have a problem to prepare a small amount of ajmod seeds paste in absence of a "shilnora".. crush a teaspoon of it  in a mortar & pestle to a coarsely ground powder and add towards the end just as I do!

INGREDIENTS :

RIPE TOMATO : 500GM

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 3-4

HALVED DRY RED CHILLI : 2-3

AJMOD / RADHUNI : 1/2TSP + 1TSP [WIKI says radhuni is dried fruit of Trachyspermum Roxburghianum, a flowering plant; smells like parsley, tastes like celery. Honestly, until I had a blog, I did not require to know what radhuni is called outside of my family; some called it wild celery seed, I took it, now WIKI says it is this]

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2TSP

CHOPPED CORIANDER : 2TBSP [OPTIONAL]

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1TSP

OIL : 1TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Wash the tomatoes well and cut each into 4 halves.

Take the pieces in a pressure cooker, add 2 coffee mugs of water, 1/2 of the turmeric powder, little salt.

Close tight the lid and pressure cook at the lowest heat up to 1 whistle.

Let the lid open normally. Heat the oil in a wok, temper it with the ajmod seeds seeds, washed and halved dry red chillies and a bay leaf. Stir and add the boiled tomato mixture.

Add 2-3 coffee mugs of water, the rest of the turmeric and salt, washed & slitted green chillies. Cover and bring it to boil at very low  heat.

While it is simmering, prepare the paste with 1tsp of radhuni / ajmod seeds, if it is a problem just crush it in a mortar & pestle. Add to the boiling tomato curry 2-3 minutes before switching off the gas.

Also add the sugar and the washed and chopped coriander before switching off the gas. 

My side of the family considers it as a side to plain rice.